Rotary motor.



No. 856,631. PATBNTED JUNE 11, 1907. P. L. GREGORY. ROTARY. MOTOR.

APPLIOATION FILED 00T.30. 1906.

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luliiidllilljp PATENTBD JUNE 1l, 1 907.

No. 856,631. l

P. L. GREGORY. ROTARY MOTOR.

APPLIUATIoN FILED como, 1905.

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Z'ted l Cryo?" No. 856,631. PATENTED JUNE ll, 1907. F. L. GREGORY'.ROTARY MOTOR.

APPLIOATION FILED 0.0T.30. 1905.

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ummmnunmmwllnllllll\ uw@T Jill 26 FRED L. GREGORY, or CHICAGO,lILLINOIS.

ROTARY MOTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1907.

Application tiled October 30,1905. Serial No. 285,108.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED L. GREGORY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Rotary Motors and Pumps, of

l provide a rotary motor of improved general construction, particularattention being paid to securing adequate packing of the joints andimproved admission and exhaust mechanism.l

The invention is illustrated in its preferred embodiment in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure l represents a vertical sectionof my improved motor, the section being taken as indicated at line l ofFig. 4 Fig. 2, a perspective view of certain packing-membersv employedin connection with the vanes; Fig. 3, a perspective view of one of thevanes adapted to receive the packing-members shown in Fig. 2 Fig. 4, asection taken as indicated at line 4 of Fig. l g Fig. 5, a perspectiveview of a manually-controlled valve employed Fig. 6, a broken outer faceview of the cylinder-end adjacent to the valves employed; Fig. 7, abroken sectional view taken as indicated at line 7 of Fig. 4; Fig. 8, asection similar to Fig. 7, but of less extent, the manually-actuatedvalve being shown in the position it occupies in starting the engine,and Fig. 9, a similar section, the manually-actuated valve being shownin the position which it occupies during the normal operation of themotor.

In the construction shown, A represents a stationary cylinder supportedon a base A1 and equipped with removable ends A2, A3; B, a shaftjournaled in the cylinder-ends and equipped with vanes B1, B2; B3, anannular rotary piston anti-frictionally journaled on annularrace-members c adjustably connected with Vthe inner surfaces of thecylinderends and eccentrically set with relation to the shaft B; B4,packing devices connected with the vanes; and C, valve mechanismconnected with the shaft and one of the cylinder ends.

The casing, or cylinder, may be of any suitable construction.Preferably, it has the removable ends; and the ends are provided withbolts a1 having screw' connection with both the cylinder ends and ringsa, and screws a2 alternating with the bolts a1 and serving to force therings a inwardly in the adjustment for wear. As shown, the rings asupport balls c3 contacting with cones a4 forming a part of or connectedwith the ends of the annular piston B3. The annular piston has contactat its lower side with an aoljustable section a? at the base of thecylinder, the section a5 being supported by a spring a, the tension ofwhich is regulated by a screw c7 accessible from the exterior of thebase of the cylinder.

The shaft B is concentric with the bore of the cylinder and eccentricwith the annular piston. One of the piston members, or vanes, is 'firmlysecured on the shaft, thereby to impart motion to the shaft, and theother is pivotcd on the shaft to permit the angular movement whichnecessarily occurs during the rotation of the piston. Each vanepreferabl y comprises a plate l), and a hub-portion b1 for connectionwith the shaft. The plate is provided with a slot b2 which receives themovable packing device B. Each device B1 comprises a member t3 iittingwithin the slot b2 at the outer or free end of the vane; members bifitting within the slot 'b2 at the lateral edges of the vane; pivotallyconnected links b5 having their free ends engaging slots t in themembers lf; and a follower t7 located in the socket t8 with which thevane is provided centraliy at the bottom wall of the slot, the followerbeing projected by means of a spring t. The follower` acts upon thelinks b5 at the point of pivotal connection between said links, therebytending to force the members lf* against the cylinder ends and also toforce them outward longitudinally, thereby to maintain the member b3 inclose contact with the inner cylindrical surface of the casm0.

lis shown in Fig. 2, the meeting ends of the members b4 and the memberb3 have a mortise and tenen connection of a character to permit themembers t to separate, while the shoulders at the bases of the tenonsserve to transmit thrust from the members b to the member t3, therebyproviding for the maintenance of perfect joints, regardless of wear.

As clearly shown in Fig. 1, the vanes B1, B2 preferably pass throughrocking bearings er packing members blo with which the core or annularpiston B3 is provided, said members being held in close contact withvanes by ysprings t coniined in suitable sockets with IOO which theannular piston is provided. As clearly appears from Fig. 4, the cylinderends are bored out somewhat on their inner sides to receive the ends ofthe annular piston member, and packing-rings 612 are provided betweenthe circumferential surfaces of the cylinder endsand the adjacentcircumferential portions of the annular piston.

The valve mechanism C comprises a manuallyeoperated valve c in the formof an annular disk or ring fitting upon a hub c1 with which the cylinderend A2 is provided, said disk being joined by arms c2 to a sleeve c3fitting on the shaft B and equipped with an actuating-arm c4; ashaft-actuated valve c5 located at the outer side of the valve c andsecured on the shaft B to rotate therewith; and a valve-casing c6fitting on the sleeve c3 and having an external flange c7 at its innerend which is firmly secured to the cylinder end, so that there isprovided between the cylinder end and the member c6 a valve chamber cs.The main casing is provided at its base with chambers C9 which liank theadjustable section c5 of the cylinder and com-v municate with theinterior of the cylinder through passages 01. The cylinder end A2 isprovided with ports c, c12 which communicate with the chambers o9, andwhich terminate at the outer surface of the cylinder end A2 inenlargements cl3. The cylinder-end A2 is further provided with anexhaust passage 014, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6. The valvee disk c isprovided on its inner face at its lower portion with a channel C15,which serves to place either one of the ports C11, cl2 in communicationwith the exhaust port c, at will. It is further provided on oppositesides of the center of its upper portion with circumferential recessesor ports o16, and below said ports and on a shorter radius with smallerports or apertures 017. The upper end of the arm c4 is turned inwardlyand equipped with` a spring-held catch 018, which may be caused toengage any one of a series of sockets c1", 020, 021, 022, C23 providedin the outer surface of the upper portion of the cylindrical part of thevalve-casing c6. The sleeve c3 is preferably provided with apacking-gland C24 as shown.. The disk-valve c5 is of smaller diameterthan the valve c, and is provided at diametrically opposite points withelongated circumferential recesses or ports c25, 026.

From the foregoing description, the manner of use will bereadilyunderstood. Steam or fluid under pressure is admitted to thevalve-chamber c3 through a ipe d. The valve c, through the medium o itshandle c4, is turned in one direction or the other, according to thedirection of rotation of the piston desired, to bring one of the portso16 into registration with the ort au or cl2, according to the directiono rotation desired. This admits fluid to the cylinder, regardless of theposition of the shaft-actuated valve c5.

end-edge pac IAfter the piston is in motion, the valve c may be turnedback toward its initial central position of neutrality, thereby to throwthe port o16 out of registration with the port in the cylinder end, andthrow the adjacent port c17 into registration with the port in thecylinder end, in either of which positions the valve c will permitexhaust to take place. For illustration, the catch C18 may be withdrawnfrom the socket 019 shown in Fig. 4, and the valve c turned from theneutral position shown in Figs. 4 and 7 to the starting position shownin Fig. 8, in which position the catch 018 will engage the socket 020shown in Fig. 7. In this movement, one of the ports- 016 is brought intoregistration with the port c, and the port C15 is brought in position toconnect the port cl2 with the exhaust port 014. After the piston is inmotion, the handle c4 may be turned to bring the catch als intoengagement with the socket 021, and corresponding with this position,the valve c will have one of its orts 017 in registration with the portall, as s own in Fig. 9, while the exhaust port 015 will still connectthe port cl2 with the exhaust port 014. As the piston rotates now, itwill intermittently close and open the port c, providing for admissionand expansion of steam, where steam is used as the motive iiuid. It willbe understood,

without further explanation, that the direction of rotation may bereversed by turning the valve c initially in the direction opposite thatjust described. In operation, the weight of the piston is carried on theanti-friction bearings, and as the packing members at the lateral andouter edges of the vanes wear, they are automatically adjusted tomaintain a close joint. Inthe event that a looseness develops vat theanti-friction bearings, the cap-screws al may be unturned somewhat andthe screws a2 turned inwardly to force the race-members a inwardly,thereby locking them securely.

It will be understood that no undue limitation is intended by theforegoing detailed description, inasmuch as changes in details ofconstruction within the spirit of the invention may be made.

What I regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a casing, a rotary piston, a vane connected withsaid piston, ateral-edge and side-edge packing-members connected withthe lateral and outer edges of said vane and having overlapping portionsslidable upon each other at the outer corners of the vane, and a springserving normally to force said lateral-edge packing-members into closecontact with the ends of the cylinder and serving also, through themedium of said lateral-edge acking-members, to force theng-member intocontact with the inner cylindrical surface of the cylinder.

2. The combination of a casing, a rotary IOO IIO

piston, a vane connected with said piston, an end-edge packing memberconnected With said vane., lateral-edge packing members connected withsaid vane and serving to transmit thrust te the end-edge packing member,links connected with said lateraledge packing members, and a spring-projected follower serving to transmit thrust through said links, for thepurpose set forth.

3. The combination of a stationary cylinder, a rotary piston, saidcylinder being provided with admission and exhaust ports, and amanually-actuated valve and a poweractuated valve having ports which maybe brought into registration With the ports of the cylinder, themanually-actuated valve having additional ports for use in starting theengine, for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of a stationary cylinder having an end provided withadmission and exhaust ports, a rotary piston having a shaft extendingthrough said end, a valve carried by asleeve journaled on said shaft andequipped with a controlling handle, a valve located outside saidfirst-named valve and actuated by said shaft, and a valve-casingforming4 nath said cylinder-end a chamber for the valves, said sleeveextending through the valve-casing and having its actuating handleconnected With its outer end, for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination of a stationary cylinder having an end provided Withadmission and exhaust ports, a shaft extending through said end, arotary piston connected with said shaft, a valve controlling said portsand equipped with a tubular stem journaled on said shaft, a valve-casinghaving an end in which said tubular stem is j ournaled, said valvecasing being provided `with a plurality of sockets, an arm connectedwith said stem and equipped with a catch adapted to engage said sockets,and a valve actuated by said shaft and co-acting with said hrstenamedvalve, for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination of a stationary cylinder having an end provided 'withadmission and exhaust ports, a shaft extending through said. end, arotary piston connected with said shaft, a mannally-actuatcd valvehaving a face located adjacent to the outer surface of said cylinderend, said valve having an exhaust passage at its inner face and havingcircumferential starting admission ports and additional ports locatedwithin a smaller 5 radius, and a valve adjacent to said :firstnamedvalve and actuated by said shaft, said last-named valve heilig ofsmaller' diameter than the first-named valve and controlling saidlast-named ports of said first-named valve, for the purpose set forth.

Josnrii H. LANDns, M. S. MACKENZIE.

